The aviation community is grieving the loss of Casey Crafton of Guardian Jet and Vikesh Patel of GE Aerospace, who were among the 67 people killed when a PSA Bombardier CRJ-700, operating as American Airlines Flight 5342, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29.

Crafton, who served as technical services manager at business aircraft broker Guardian Jet since 2019, was traveling on business when the accident occurred. An aviation professional with more than a decade of experience as an A&P mechanic, Crafton was known for his expertise in aircraft maintenance and his work overseeing pre-buy projects.

“Every company has a culture. He was very much a part of who we are. So that’s the hard thing. That’s the hard part to fill,” said Don Dwyer, managing partner at Guardian Jet. The company remembered Crafton as not only a valued team member but “above all a husband, father, and a friend to all,” noting his “tenacity and great sense of humor” in a formal announcement. Guardian Jet has set up a GoFundMe for the Crafton family.

Also aboard the flight was Vikesh Patel, an MRO transformation leader at GE Aerospace remembered by colleagues as “a wonderful person, leader, and friend” whose “energy was contagious.” Larry Culp, chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace, expressed the company’s grief in a statement: “This is a tragedy not only for our industry, but also for the GE Aerospace team as one of our cherished colleagues, Vikesh Patel, was onboard the flight. Our hearts are with his family and all those impacted by this horrific accident.” Patel, based in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area, had been with GE since 2013.